Federal Reports

The OIG conducted this review to assess the merits of two hotline complaints—one in March 2024 and one in April 2024—alleging Omaha VA Medical Center leaders manipulated the clinically indicated date for consults, thereby limiting veterans’ access to community care. The OIG substantiated the allegations, determining that from March 7, 2024, through April 11, 2024, facility leaders implemented a prohibited 29-day default for the clinically indicated date field that applied to referrals for specialty care and for some primary and mental health care. The default was implemented because clinically indicated dates for many specialty care consults were, in the chief of staff’s and medical facility director’s opinion, sooner than the patient’s condition warranted.

Before implementing the default, both the medical facility director and the chief of staff were made aware that there should not be a default. After implementing, they were also notified by an Omaha VA Medical Center employee that the default was not allowed and should be removed, but facility leaders took 19 days to remove the default. Furthermore, the OIG found providers were not given training on clinically indicated dates. In early November 2024—more than six months after the default was removed—training was provided.

The OIG made four recommendations: to clarify that automatically prepopulating the clinically indicated date field is prohibited; to determine whether any administrative action should be taken; to direct the medical facility director to provide education and training on the consult process; and to assess the actions the medical facility has taken to review consults potentially affected by the default and ensure veterans received the care they needed.

This report presents the results of our audit of the Postal Automated Redirection System. 

The Postal Automated Redirection System (PARS) was deployed in 2007 to handle letter mail that cannot be delivered to the name and address on the mailpiece. Mail sorting equipment can automatically intercept mail with an active Change of Address (COA), and PARS sorting equipment can forward it to the new destination, reducing additional mail handling. If mail that is undeliverable as addressed is not intercepted during the automated process, a carrier at the delivery unit can identify it as either forwardable — with a valid COA — or as return to sender and send it back to the plant for further processing. With the average American moving 11.7 times in their lifetime, the Postal Service must effectively handle PARS mail to ensure timely delivery of essential communications, such as bills, checks, and court documents. 

Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of procedures for processing and handling PARS mail. To accomplish our objective, we conducted interviews with U.S. Postal Service Headquarters management, obtained and analyzed PARS related data for fiscal years (FY) 2023 and 2024, and determined avoidable costs incurred due to identified issues. 

This report presents the results of our audit of Efforts to Reduce Workhours in Mail Processing.

The U.S. Postal Service’s mail processing function involves the sortation and distribution of mail for dispatch and delivery. During fiscal year (FY) 2024, more than 107,000 employees worked in the mail processing function. Based on workhour plans, which the Postal Service develops as part of its annual budget process, the Postal Service planned to reduce mail processing workhours by more than 28 million hours between FYs 2022 and 2024.

Our objective was to assess the Postal Service’s efforts to reduce workhours in mail processing. We analyzed trends in mail processing workhours, volume, and productivity, and we compared actual workhours to workhour plans during FYs 2022 through 2024. Also, we interviewed headquarters personnel to gain an understanding of the workhour planning process and workhour reduction efforts. Further, we interviewed personnel at nine judgmentally selected mail processing plants, and 10 judgmentally selected processing divisions regarding mail processing workhour management.

Although management reduced workhours in mail processing facilities by more than 17 million hours during FYs 2022 through 2024, there may be opportunities to further reduce workhours by stabilizing or improving productivity. The workhour reductions included a 5 percent decrease in overtime hours; however, mail processing facilities used 10.8 million more hours than planned, which resulted in at least $174.8 million in additional cost. While productivity slightly increased during FY 2024, some mail processing facilities still saw declines in productivity during that year. Opportunities exist for management to more effectively plan for workload shifts and operational challenges during initial workhour planning and to improve mail processing productivity. The Postal Service spent an additional $63.6 million in FY 2024 to cover the additional workhours.